Case Study of Congo

Congo has one of the most threatened rainforests in the world. Activities such as logging,

Subsistence Agriculture, Civil Strife, Mining and ‘Bushmeat’ Trade are the factors

for such a result. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization

(FAO), Congo has lost approximately 91,000 km2 to deforestation in the 10 years

between 1990 and 2000. Not to mention, 65.8 percent, or 22,471,000 hectares, of

Congo’s land is covered with forests. Of this, 33.2 percent, or 7,464,000 hectares of the

forest is classified as primary forest, the most abundant and greatest form biodiversity

of a forest. During the 1990, for a decade, Congo has been loosing an average of

17,000 hectares of forests per year, around 0.07 percent. Between, 2000 and 2005,

deforestation activity as increased by 0.8 percent from the pass decade to 0.08 percent

yearly. Deforestation rates of have decreased 1.1% since the close of the 1990s. In

total, between 1990 and 2005, Congo lost 1.1% of its forest cover, or around 255,000

hectares and 84,000 hectares of its primary forest cover. Congo has also lost 1.1 percent

of its woodlands habitat. Congo’s forest houses some 970 different species of animals

according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre and 0.7 percent of

these animals are endemic, which means they can’t be found in any other country and 2

percent of the animals are threatened to extinction. Besides animals, Congo also house

6000 different kinds of vascular plants, where 20 percent of these plants are endemic.

Only 14.1 percent of the plants are under protection.

Logging: Logging is one of the reasons for deforestation in Congo. After the war,

when peace is back to the country, the rate of logging has increased significantly.

In 2004, Congo started logging commercially. The timber industries expanded

because of it. Many workers were employed. This helped Congo’s economy.

Many underpaid citizens tried to earn money through illegal logging opening

restricted areas to cutting. This created incentives which they add on with their

legal jobs and pay.

Agriculture: Agriculture also led to deforestation. Most of the forest cover has

been taken by poor farmers and villagers for agriculture and fuelwood collection.

Farmers use the slash-and-burn method for quick removal of trees and other

plants.

Civil Strife: Ever since the mid 20th century, Central Africa has been troubled by

violence amongst its own people. Civil Strife caused many people to flee from

their homes, away from the city, and into the forest for shelter. During their stay

in the forest, people took food and destroyed wildlife habitat. Animals were also

hunted and disturbed by the refugees. Destruction of the forest was evident after

they had left the forest.

Bushmeat: To date, visitors of Congo can purchase almost every kind of meat if

any animal that can be found in the forest. There is a huge demand for protein in

the market thus people started to hunt for animal’s meat. Different animal’s meat

contains different amount of protein and has its own purpose for consumption

thus every type of meat was on demand and none of the meat could substitute

another meat.

Mining: The Congo Basin, one of Congo’s forests, has some of the world’s

richest mineral deposits. Project works in the forest are poorly supervised; health

issues were not carefully monitored, not to mention environmental impact.

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has stepped in and tried to help some of the

animal population to prevent them from going into extinction. Core protected areas

and strong anti-poaching efforts were increased. To continue the protection of these

animals, WCS is advocating that the US pass HR 4416 billion to support funding.

References:

1 . http://rainforests.mongabay.com/congo/deforestation.html

2 . http://rainforests.mongabay.com/deforestation/2000/Congo.htm

3 . http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/congo_basin_forests/

problems/deforestation/

4 . http://wrmbulletin.wordpress.com/2008/08/25/democratic-republic-of-the-congo-

deforestation-of-protected-areas-for-mining-operations-in-the-province-of-

katanga-the-case-of-the-basse-kando-reserve/

5 . http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=51918

Case Study of Indonesia

Research has shown that on 1999-2000, Indonesia is ranked second for the most amount

of forest cover lost in the world. An overwhelming 5,065 square miles of forest cover

was lost within that year. Indonesia has had a huge and biodiverse forest since the

country was founded and its amazing forest has continued to grow until the 1950. After

the next 50 years of 1950, the forest has lost 40 percent of its forest cover. An estimated

fall from 162 million hectare to 98 million hectare of forest land was lost. And the trend

of such lost is not only continuing, but it is accelerating. A lost of 1 million hectare per

year increased to 1.7 million hectare per year from 1980s to the early 1990s. After 1996,

rate of forest lost has increased to 2 million hectare per year. Indonesia is at risks of

losing its rich timber resource and a great forest with all the organisms living in it if the

deforestation trend does not stop. Deforestation has already caused forests in Sulawesi

to be almost entirely cleared. Predictions are made for Sumatra to loss its entire forest in

2005 and Kalimantan in 2010 if the trend continues.

Causes:

Corrupt political and economical systems are the main causes for deforestation in

Indonesia. These systems regard resources, such as forests, as a source of revenue for

political and individual gains. Logging concessions covering more than half the country’s

total forest area were awarded by former President Suharto, many of them to his relatives

and political allies. Cronyism in the forestry sector left timber companies free to operate

with little regard for long-term sustainability of production.

Timber in the forest is a very valued resource thus companies are trying many ways to

get their hands on them for production of their products. Therefore a reward system is

created to favored companies. Companies could be rewarded to at least 16 hectare of

timber resource from the government. The land is also given to the company which gives

them right for timber or agriculture plantations.

An increase of paper and pulp products over the last few decades increased the demand

for wood fiber. The demand is too great for any current sustainable domestic forest

management regime.

Another cause would be farming in the country however this is not a dormant factor.

Illegal logging has become a main cause of deforestation in Indonesia. Although illegal

logging has not been properly documented but former senior official of the Ministry of

Forestry has claimed that theft and illegal logging have destroyed an estimated 10 million

ha of Indonesian forests. Due to the increasing demands for wood fiber, illegal logging

allows people to earn an income and selling the wood for wood fiber. Plus, the demand

for wood is too high for legal means to obtain. To increase production and resources,

companies uses illegal logging to close the differences between the wood they had

obtained legally and the demand for wood.

The increase in demand for wood is caused by subsidizes and promotion from Industrial

timber plantations. Thus in practice, millions of hectares of natural forest has been

cleared to make way for plantations that, in 75 percent of cases, are never actually

planted.

Not only did deforestation activities create threats of destroying the forest, reforestation

programs are not set up to try to revive the forest. Millions of hectares of land was

planned to be naturally development in allocated for development as industrial timber

plantations. Yet only fractions of what is allocated are used for reforestation and have

actually been planted with fast-growing species, mostly Acacia mangium, to produce

pulpwood. Millions hectare of lands are left idling, empty and not used.

The Indonesian government is trying to help by implementing policies for the protection

of the forest but with complications locally and internationally caused when actions

are taken stuns them from trying to do more. And the policies implemented are not

effective and efficient thus things are never totally curbed. Numerous forest-dependent

communities, sensing the weakening of central power, have erupted violently against

logging and plantation operations that they consider to be plundering their local

resources. Longstanding problems of unclear land tenure rights are the root cause of

many such conflicts. The government is no longer willing to protect corporate interests

as it once did, but neither does it appear to have any coordinated plan for dealing with the

problem.

References:

http://www.globalforestwatch.org/english/indonesia/forests.htm

http://www.wrm.org.uy/deforestation/Asia/Indonesia.html

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2002/timber_mafia/resources/

resources_indonesia.htm

Case Study of Nigeria

Case Study of Nigeria

Base on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation (FAO), Nigeria has the world’s highest deforestation rate of primary forests. Primary forests are forests with no visible signs of past or present human activities. During the year 2000 and 2005, through Logging, subsistence agriculture, and the collection of fuel wood, the country has lost 55.7 percent of their primary forest. Deforestation activities have occurred near the Niger River delta. The delta is home to coastal rainforest, mangrove forest, and contains rich oil deposits. During 1958, Shell Oil company has already started to extract tens of billions worth of petroleum and natural gas. The country has received high revenues from Shell’s extraction but local tribes’ people in the area has experienced several problems such as pollution and deforestation. The tribesmen demanded Shell turn over more oil revenue to locals and clean up oil pollution. The locals started to be rebellious while Shell armed soldiers to cease the rebel. The chief of the tribes was executed and Shell continues their petroleum and gas extraction. Soon after the death of the tribes’ chief, Shell announced that they’d increase gas projects at the Delta. The locals learned that extortion pays, and started to sabotage oil installations. When there is an oil spill, the locals would receive compensations from Shell. Attacks and sabotages increased rapidly, and by 1999 the U.N. named the delta the most threatened in the world. Conditions were worsened in the early part of 2006. Kidnappings cases started and also an increase of attacks on the factories. Ransom is then asked for. These are the main activities locals do to earn enough money as incentives given by oil companies are not enough for their daily usage and shouldering environmental costs. Luckily, there is little evidence of oil contamination because the petroleum is light and evaporates quickly, thus pollution is not a big problem. However, oil production in Nigeria does contribute to global warming because the country flares more gas than any other country. (Flaring refers to the burning of excess gas that comes up with crude.) The methane produced has a much higher global-warming potential than carbon dioxide (64 times as active a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide).

Deforestation is a serious problem in Nigeria. Since 1990, the country has lost some 6.1 million hectares or 35.7 percent of its forest cover. And its primary forest has been reduced by an even faster pace. From 1990 to 2005, the primary forest has been reduced by 79 percent. Nigeria government has finally looked into the matter with its new and more accountable government. The government has been spending $6 billion every year, but it is still not enough to totally curb illegal logging. Timber concessions have been granted in national parks, and oil-palm plantations are replacing natural forest. Past governments have tried to stem forest loss through a ban on log exports, promoting of agroforestry and community-based conservation schemes, increasing energy and fuel efficiency, and encouraging plantations and reforestation programs to achieve a target of 25 percent forest cover. But the impact appears to be limited given Nigeria's astounding deforestation rate. Nigeria has seen a plummet of forest animals as deforestation activities are still continuing. A drop in the productivity of fisheries. The government is still trying many other ways to curb such a devastation. International communities have come together and discussed ways to solve it and providing technology and money for countries with similar problems. Government is also trying to educate the public on deforestation and its consequence. People must understand that what they are doing is hurting not only themselves, but the environment for the entire world.

References:

http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1117-forests.html

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20nigeria.htm

http://www1.american.edu/ted/projects/tedcross/xdefor21.htm

http://desertification.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/nigeria-deforestation-country-ranks-highest-in-africa-google-allafrica-daily-trust/

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/08/10-countries-highest-deforestation-rates-world.php#ch03

Nuisance callers dial up 999 logjam

Nuisance callers dial up 999 logjam


This pranksters dial 999 for minor things or just for fun. During one morning, a Staff Sergeant received three prank calls within an hour. The caller of the first call just remained silent on the other line. The caller of the second call mumbled a vague excuse, apologised and hung up,. The caller of the third one complained about his neighbour confronting him about his blaring and he went on saying his nine month old child needed to listen to very loud music to sleep. The Staff Sergeant firmly told him that she would not send the police down and advised him to lower the volume of his music the next time. There are also some people who dial 999 to ask for the contact numbers of hotels, ministries and other agencies.


I feel that this 999 dial line is the reason Singapore is so safe. Whenever there is a criminal case, robbery, theft or kidnap this number is the number people use to contact the police and inform them. We should never take advantage of it or make fun of it. I shall show an example of how it will slow down our efficiency in catching criminals. If an old lady gets rob by some person and a passer-by calls the police, as there are too many prank calls in the headquarters and the staff took a longer time to res pond to the call. By the time the police arrived at the crime scene, the snatch-thief would have ran away. Now you see the outcome in making this prank calls, do you still want to make people suffer because of the sake of you having fun?Think about it.

ACE

Today, out principal gave us a talk about two subjects apart from just exams. He told us about our independent studies and oral communication. In the first term, I have done alot of ace but I talked very little during the fist term which caused my oral communication marks to not be so good. Overall I would prefer the older system of ace which is max ten per subject per year.

YOG torch

The Youth Olympic Games Torch came to our school on the 11th of May. We were told to stand in a straight line beside our school's road to wait for the Olympic flame to arrive. Many times, we clapped because we thought the runner has come, however after realising that it was a 'false alarm' we sat down in disappointment. Our long wait was repaid off when we saw a man holding the olympic lantern with a very small flame in side. Although the flame was as small as a candle flame, at least we caught a glimpse of it while the man was running up.:) I hope I was representing Singapore as a national paddler for table tennis. I would have made the school and my family proud. Now I can only train hard and maybe participate in competitions to win other people. Hope I will excel in my sport!!

Home Learning Task 2

Children in the Darkness

This shows how pitiful the children are and the seriousness of the problem

Steps in Analysis
	Point	Evidence	Elaboration
1.	Point of ViewThe poem's point of view is from a person who wants people to help these children.	Could we simply light a candle Could we give them half a chance Could we teach them how to read Could we teach them how to dance	This shows that the author wants to gain support from people to help the children in Vietnam
2.	Situation and Setting In war situation with alot of violence.	Or will a war consume them Their body and their soul Will their life and blood be poured Down some endless thirsty hole	There is war and the children will suffer by being kill as they are helpless
3	Language/ DictionThe language used is very solemn	There are children in the darkness
4	Personal ResponseThe author is trying to send a message that we should help	The whole poem	His words are trying to convince us

Home Learning Task 1

Children in the darkness

This poem was written when the writer was in vietnam when he children there were the ones suffering the most as they could not have proper education and may be abused by the adults. They would be exposed to alot of violence as there was the vietnam war. The children may not survuve to see the world and be kept in the darkness.

The author also wrote:"Will their life and blood be poured Down some endless thirsty hole" , this shows that the children in vietnam were neglected and many died.

I feel that the author wrote this poem to show the situation in vietnam and how war can affect a country so badly and that the children will suffer most if this continues to happen.

MI

This is the results for my multiple intelligence test. It looks quite small but I would briefly tell you the results of it and what it actually represents and how what it shows about me. I would also let you know if I agree with What it shows.

Firstly, I would start with Logical. As you can see, I am not very number smart and can really use numbers to understand things. Secondly, I'm not very good at speaking and got very low for Linguistic. However I am Kinaesthetic smart as I am very sporty and spent most of my times outdoors. My results for Visual, Musical and Intrapersonal are equal and are not very good too.My Interpersonal and Naturalistic results are good and i agree with that too.

In a nutshell, I feel that the results are quite true and I totally agree with this.

Thought Of A Poem

My poem:

PRIMARY SCHOOL

Students running everywhere in the morning
Going around laughing, laughing and laughing
Some times I say, “I just don’t get them!”
Others say “ Never mind, just join them!”

First day of new teachers won’t be as good as they think
They’ll feel that their boat is gonna sink
Coz as the saying goes “ When the teacher’s away,
The students will play”

Primary school life maybe tough
But it’s not always rough
There are times when you can play
There are times that I rather not say

Teachers will always think of you
Even when you leave the school
After all, it’s just six years
But I have to warn you, it’s just the start of your fears

First Day Of Sabbaticals

I chose Infuse!Electrifun for my sabbaticals this term and today was my first day. We learnt about how to charge electricity statically. By doing this, we can attract many things. For example, we charge a polythene ruler statically and it is able to attract an empty aluminum can, another

Polythene ruler and many other things. I chose this sabbatical because I’d like to know more about physics, as I would be learning it in the next term. Moreover, physics has always fascinated me and taking this sabbatical can let me learn more about physics and more fascinating things about it. We did many hands on activities today, which were very fun, and we had to do it in a group. Tomorrow, we will have more hands on activities as we will have half day tomorrow and she would let us have some fun first, On Wednesday, we would go to the Singapore Science Centre to take a look at their exhibits. I made a right choice choosing this sabbatical as the first lesson has already fascinated me with all the wonderful things electricity can do and how they can be charged. Overall all, today’s sabbatical was fun and I really enjoyed it.

Write a diary entry for a major character of the novel (scout)

Dear diary,

Today was a horrifying day for me and Jem. Jem's still lying in bed with a broken arm! Oh diary! We were attacked by Bob Ewell while walking home through this dark route after our school's halloween party.Well, there was one good thing , I finally saw Boo Radley's face. He was apparently not what we exepected! He wasn't scary at all!!!

Musical b)

You didn't care,

you didn't try,

you just decided,

without a word.

How could you?

You use the mallet,

knock it on his heart

right down,

without hesitation,

how could you?

You live on prejudice

First Day Of Home Learning

"Wake up! Look at the time now!" . That was the first thing I heard when woke up, it was my mom looking at me and pointing her finger at the clock. I raise my head , uncovered the blanket and I looked at the clock. It was already 8.45 am! I got out of bed and ,without even brushing my teeth, turned on the computer and logged on to the SMB homelearning board. However, I could not log in and I asked my friend about the websites of each subject and started doing my work.
First was chinese, one of the hardest, the chinese words on the websites were very profound and it took me a long time to read the whole passage. We had to answer some question and I did that in a few minutes. Second, I did math. The assignment took a long time to be uploaded but i still completed it on time. Next was science, we started on a new topic and it was rather interesting. Lastly in was history group work. We did it fast and good and finished all our homework.
Overall, the homelearning was interesting and I had a lot of fun learning new stuff.

CCA fundings

There was a panel discussion on CCA fundings yesterday during assembly and many people from different CCAs have comments about their CCA fundings and went up to the microphone to speak.
One of them was Yin Chang Ze. He went to the microphone to talk about the facilities in his CCA. He claimed that it was broken and should be replaced. However, Dr Hon, our principal told him that the broken rifles are minor things as the CCA has many other events. Dr Hon also showed us facts of the fundings and we learnt that we should get our facts right before we make a conclusion of a certain matter.
The panel discussion also taught us that we should not be to demanding and write in an unhappy manner while requesting fo something as the harsh words may affect the reader's decision and this may let you have a lesser chance in getting what you want. We should always be polite and get our facts right before requesting for anything.

West Zone Champs!!

Hwa Chong table tennis team achieved first in position for zonals again!! It was a close match for the B division. At the third match of the B division, we were losing 2-0, however our singles player continued fighting and won 3-2 in the end!! Mr Tok Ai Lin was also there to watch us play and receive the medals.
The matches were all very interesting for both B division and C division. Everyone of us played our best and achieved very good results. Our coach even promised us a treat for lunch one day!! Our coach was very anxious at the moment we started playing as he really wanted us to achieve champions. At the end he was very elated when we received our prizes.
Overall the whole team played very well and achieved very good results.